


Seven Devils

by LosersLikeMe



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: F/M, Fake AH - Freeform, Fake AH Crew, Freewood - Freeform, GTA AU, Heist, M/M, turnfreewood, turnwood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-25
Updated: 2015-08-29
Packaged: 2018-04-17 06:18:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4655853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LosersLikeMe/pseuds/LosersLikeMe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Fake AH Crew runs Los Santos and everybody knows it, or they should. When a mystery woman starts taking the spotlight off of the infamous Fake Ah Crew there are mixed feelings. Geoff is pissed but Ryan is curious. He himself was once one of the few people to take the attention of Los Santos away from the Fake AH Crew. It had landed him a job and and his current partner, Gavin. Will his curiosity get the best of him and send his world crashing to the ground around him? Or will it open a new and unexpected door?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Creepy Clowns and Creaky Swing Sets

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Here is the first chapter of my new fic, Seven Devils. I made an incredibly long post about it on my Tumblr (justloserslikeme.tumblr.com), where I ramble and rav about what my plans are for this fic. You can get ahold of me there any time or on here at least once or twice a day. I'm incredibly excited about this and I hope you guys are too.  
> I'm expecting this to run into at least 20 chapters and hopefully over 100k word length. it's going to be a slow burn that focuses on plot, and character development just as much as the TurnFreeWood. So sit down and buckle up. It's gonna be a long ride.  
> I should be posting every Monday and Friday. If I'm late please harass me.

It was always Mondays. Ryan could never really wrap his head around why Geoff liked to set jobs for Mondays. Without fail Geoff would stroll in wearing heavily tinted sunglasses with a Red Bull in hand shortly after one in the afternoon. His voice would crack slightly in a half hearted greeting to the rest of the Fake AH Crew as they settled down to finalize the plans for the night ahead of them. Ryan couldn’t quite stop himself from making a comment about moving the jobs towards the middle of the week if Geoff couldn’t get his ass out of bed before noon. These comments almost always warranted nothing more than Geoff flipping him off with the hand that was not holding the Red Bull. 

It was an afternoon like any other when the crew was gathered together to plan yet another heist. Ryan’s eyes drifted around the room, accounting for all six members; Michael slouched in his chair, elbows on the table, engrossed in his phone, more than likely texting that girl he wouldn’t shut up about. Ray was inspecting his pink rifle, case open as he examined every piece individually with what could only be called pure obsession. Geoff was scribbling on the rolling white board he always planned on, writing something then smudging it away with the heel of his hand before going back to scribbling away furiously. Ryan looked towards the door to the kitchen as it creaked open, Jack’s back pushing it open as he carried out a plate of sandwiches. At the very least Ryan was always guaranteed food on Monday afternoons. As Jack put the platter on the table he settled down in his chair across the table from Michael. The only two remaining members of the Fake AH crew where himself and the man who stood in front of him, his head leaning against Ryan’s chest. 

Gavin. Gavin was probably Ryan’s favourite member of the Crew. Of course, that could just be because of the benefits of their relationship. Gavin some how managed to be Ryan’s anchor. Not like in those cheesy chick flicks that Ryan sometimes found himself watching when he had nothing to do in the middle of the day, but in a sanity kind of way. Before Gavin it would take a couple of days for Ryan to come down from a heist, especially one where he had killed someone. Those were always the hardest, the blood pumping through his veins so hard that he could hear it in the silence, when he was the only one left in a room. 

When Geoff had brought Ryan in he could barely be around anyone for days at a time after he did a job. He would scare himself at how easily the body count could pile up. Then he had met that smart mouthed Brit and it didn’t seem to take as long. It wasn’t immediate, it wasn’t as if Gavin had appeared and fixed all of Ryan’s tendencies. Instead, after a few jobs Gavin started pushing his big nose into Ryan’s head. The bugger just couldn’t let Ryan wallow, apparently ignoring texts didn’t mean the same thing in England as it did in the United States. At first he’d just knock on the door until Ryan made a grunt of acknowledgement. Then, he would bring by food, trying different types every week. It started with burgers, and went through the geographical alphabet before Ryan finally opened the door one Tuesday for Indian food. 

Two years later Ryan would allow himself an hour to wallow and stew in the memory of his actions. The lives he had taken and the things he had done. Just one hour by himself to calm his nerves. When he first discovered the park, he had just been wandering aimlessly after a late night job when he had suddenly been faced with an absurd clown face; that grotesque smile peeling away from the rusted metal. It had taken him a couple visits to the playground before he realized why it calmed him so much. There had been a park much like this one in Georgia. Before the heists, even before petty thieving and school yard violence, his parents had taken him there as a child, many afternoons spent under the hot Georgia sun before going home to sandwiches and lemonade. Then, sadly his parents had passed away. That smiling clown taunted him when he tried to visit the park after their death, he had never gone back to that park. However, as an adult the near replica brought him some peace of mind. A reminder of better times, of times part of him wished to recreate. In his most relentless of moments he found himself able to touch back down in that park. So, he always allowed himself one hour sitting on that swing set starring at the disintegrating smile. 

After that hour he would push himself up from the rubber seat and go home with Gavin to watch cheesy TV while eating Indian food on the couch. Slowly the body counts started to drop during jobs, of course Ryan still had to take out those who needed to be taken care of but he didn’t take the same enjoyment out of it as he once had. Often he joked that he was on a murder break. A Break that was sponsored by his one and only Gavin. 

Ryan’s trip down memory lane was cut short by Geoff clearing his throat and cracking his knuckles. “Okay, ready up Gents, and young Lads. It’s time to plan this bitch”  
Shaking out his shoulders as he always did before he started his pitches, Geoff turned to the board, placing his hand on the large laminated map of the city, wiping away flecks of black marker that remained from previous heists. “This, is Los Santos” He said in an excited tone, as if he didn’t start every pitch the exact same way. “You all know it.” 

Nodding heads around the room except for the one against Ryan’s chest “No, we don’t.” Gavin remarked and Ryan could feel the smirk on his face. 

Rolling his eyes Geoff pointed at him with a half hearted “Shut up idiot” before carrying on, his attention back on the task at hand. “I have identified a location for us to hit.” Ryan nodded along when Geoff’s eyes scanned for any signs of acknowledgement of his suspense. He always tried to be so damn suspenseful. “By my estimation we should be able to pull close to $2000 out of this one. Pennies I know, but they can’t all be banks.” Geoff was greeted once again by impatient head nodding. With a small sigh he continued. “A 24 hour supermarket.”

Ray chuckled from his corner, finally putting down the last piece of his rifle, “Yeah, I hear it's open all day.” Ryan could tell he was proud of himself about that one by the way Ray leaned back in his chair and looked Geoff straight in the eyes as he said it, taunting the boss. 

However, Ray’s dry wit was ignored once again by Geoff. “Well, there’s one downtown. Actually just South of Downtown, whatever.You’ll know it because it has the hands on carwash across from it” He continued as he marked the location on the map with a messy circle. “Gavin and I are gonna rob the place.”

Almost immediately Ryan felt Gavin squirm excitedly in his arms as he let out a sound that only Gavin could make. “Plan G!” He remarked quickly. Gavin always did like being by Geoff’s side, as if it gave the him some sort of validation. 

“Yes, Plan G.” Geoff agreed with an affectionate smile, as much as Gavin liked Geoff, Ryan always thought that Geoff liked Gavin more. “Ray, you’re obviously our best shot. You’re our sniper, as usual. You’re gonna provide cover. No change there. Ryan,” Ryan felt his posture straighten as he was addressed, “You’re the boat guy.”  
“Nautical. Got it.” Ryan agreed, thankful that he was going to get to pull his boat out of storage again. Nothing was quite as thrilling as the adrenaline mixing with the splatter of cool water on his skin. 

Geoff moved on without pause “Jack, you’re the driver. Everyone knows you’re the best driver.” With a devilish smirk Geoff turned to the last remaining member “Michael, you blow shit up.” 

“Oh, yeah, I’ll bring some ruckus.” Michael said, his eyes glinting with mischief, Ryan could see the cogs in the other man’s head turn.  
It was easy to see the Geoff was getting excited, “And it all ends here” He said poking a tattooed finger at the top of the map. “Mount Chilliad. That’s where we’re going to split our money and go our separate ways.” With a little bounce Geoff continued, “Now we get into specifics; Gavin, Jack and I are gonna roll up in an unmarked stolen, sprayed and tinted vehicle. We’re gonna have to put some work into this.”

Michael nodded, his head in his hand as he paid close attention, “Limo tint.” he said lifting his head from his hand. “Definitely limo tint.”

“Of course. Good call, now, Jack you’re going to be in the car waiting for us. We’re going to go inside. We’re gonna rob the place, we’re gonna have to kill the guy. We haven’t left any eye witnesses yet and we aren’t gonna start now. Anyone who sees our faces has to die.” 

Ryan felt Gavin tense against his chest. It wasn’t that Gavin hadn’t killed before, many times in fact. More so that he didn’t get the same enjoyment out of it that Ryan did, that he felt like Michael and Geoff did. Gavin would do what he had to for the Crew, but only for the Crew. However the man in his arms nodded sternly at Geoff.  
“I’m on board.” Ryan agreed, not only because he did get that sick enjoyment out of it but also so Gavin knew that he wasn’t going to be the only one drawing blood tonight. 

After seeing everyone's confirmation the plan continued, reaching it’s climax. “Every vehicle needs to be destroyed Michael, I need you to plant sticky explosives all around the area, not close to the door please. We don’t need Gavin catching fire, again.” That had been amusing, undoubtedly but all Ryan could remember was Gavin complaining that his favourite Heist outfit had gotten burnt to a crisp. “Maximum carnage, gotta cause a distraction. Gotta confuse LSDP.” 

As Geoff went he wrote down the duties assigned to everyone under their photo which was taped to the white board. An idea he had gotten after watching one too many Heist movies on Netflix. “Ray, you’re across the street, one building West of us. Second floor of a Warehouse, obviously, as your job name suggests, you’ll be sniping those fuckers. Now, Jack, this is important when we get in you’re gonna speed off. Hopefully they’re going to assume we’re trying to get away from the mass carnage that Michael has so wonderfully bestowed. You’re gonna make the turn down Power Street. Chosen in part by it’s wonderful name, don’t judge.” Geoff said, smirking widely when he got the unanimous chuckles he was aiming for. “On Power street we turn into an alleyway where Michael will be waiting in one of the many city buses that will be abandoned at the first sign of terror You’re gonna block up that alley so no one can follow. From there we get in to two identical vehicles. You know the ones, Ryan you’re going to be waiting with one running, I get in and we take off. Then Jack and Gavin you go in the other.” With another crack of his knuckles and swig of his Red Bull Geoff continues on his long winded explanation of the night’s events. “Now, only after Michael destroys all the vehicles including the bus does Ray pull up with a Sandchez and you guys take off” 

By this point Ryan was wondering where his boat was going to come in to play, after all Geoff had promised him a boat only moments earlier. “We’re all going to be traveling East, don’t be idiots, lose the fucking cops along the way. Ray and Michael approach from Bradick Pass. Okay? Jack you’re just gonna go crazy, you’re a good enough driver to handle this, confuse the LSPD, not like it’s hard.” once again a dull laughter filled the room, the tension in the air rising considerably. “At some point you’re gonna approach from Ratton Canyon Cops lost.” 

Suddenly Ryan felt Geoff’s eyes settle on him, “Now Ryan, we are going to go to Porta Del Sol, which as we all know is where the docks are at” Ryan felt his smile return, finally his baby gets to come into play. “Ryan your speedboat is gonna be waiting there for us. We’re going to leisurely make our way to this bait and tackle shop.”Geoff said as circled the location on the map. 

“Ah yeah, I’ve been there. Great burgers” Ryan said nodding as he remembered one evening that Gavin and himself had gone for a boat ride and ended up at that shop for burgers and chips, as Gavin insisted on calling them. 

“Yes, great burgers. Across the street is going to be a non descript vehicle. I’ll take care of that one. “We will approach Chilliad from the Lumberyard. We all converge on Chilliad. Meet up, take our shares and book it the fuck away. Live to heist another day.” Geoff said with a huge smile on his face.  
Everyone nodded and got up out of their chairs stretching after the long explanation. “Is it just me or is this thing gonna cost more then we’ll make?” Ray commented as he swung his rifle case over his shoulder. 

With a chuckle everyone nodded in agreement, after all it wasn’t always about the money. It was the thrill of it all. If they weren’t in it for the thrills then they all would have become doctors or lawyers, they were all intelligent enough to. Nah, it was about the fun this time. 

The Heist had gone pretty much as planned. Gavin had only gotten in the way twice and he had actually been the one to take out the guy in the supermarket. Ryan could tell how proud Geoff was when they all met up on the top of Chilliad. It had all gone over as well as it could have been expected and Ryan’s heart was still beating rapidly in his chest. His boots crunched the gravel underneath them as he pushed himself gently backwards on the swing and rocked forward again, his toes keeping contact with the loose stones, only making the slightest sound as they shifted. Ryan took a deep breath as he let his eyes fall shut. The silence of the rusty playground around him always soothed his nerves after a mission, bringing him down from the adrenaline that coursed through him. The cool breeze washed over Ryan’s features and he inhaled deeply, his lungs burning at the volume of crisp air.

After a few more deep breathes Ryan felt a vibration from his right pocket. He let another breath leave his lungs as he dug out his phone. He already knew the message was from Gavin and that it said nothing more than “Good?”. Every night after a heist Ryan silently disappeared from the Fake AH Crew garage and strolled down the street to the same place. As the hour ticked away he would feel the stress of the evening slowly dissipate. As if on queue when the hour rolled to a close he would be greeted by the familiar single worded text from Gavin. 

When Ryan had first joined the Fake AH Crew he had been a nomad. Doing odd jobs on his own, never staying anywhere more than a few months. When he had landed in Los Santos he had started his usual routine of minor bank jobs and heists. His temper always seemed to get the best of him though, and as he did in most other places he had lost his temper and killed a handful of guards at a bank. His stay in most cities were ended in this manner. A snarky cashier making a comment that didn’t sit right with him, a snide comment and a bullet in return. Of course once there was one body the only logical course of action was to eliminate any and all witnesses. 

Ryan had been packing his bags in his hotel room high in a Los Santos skyscraper when there had been a knock at the door. Of course he had had a getaway plan, he’d have to be an idiot to not. He had his gun in hand and his bag over his shoulder as he quietly inched out of the room and onto the balcony. All he would have to do is climb down from one balcony to another and then down the window ledges once he got closer to the ground and onto the bike that awaited him around the corner. 

The door opened of its own volition as Ryan had one leg over the edge of the balcony and to his surprise it was not the LSPD that stood in the doorway. It was a man only a little older than himself. Arms covered in tattoos and a pistol casually held at his side. The man was smirking at Ryan, a gesture that was framed by a large and twisty moustache. “Hello Mr. Vagabond.” The man said as he walked into the room, causing Ryan to roll his eyes, how had they managed to link him back to his street name more quickly than the LSPD could? Closing the door with a flick of his foot. The man slid onto the kingsize bed in the middle of the room, his legs spread wide and his pistol hanging between them as the man sat in an uncomfortably casual manner. “Oh come on, do I look like I’m here to arrest your ass? You killed four people dude, you’d be dead if I was LSPD. I’m here to talk business.” 

The logical side of Ryan knew he should have flipped his other leg over the side and ran far away from Los Santos. He couldn’t though, because there had been something brewing inside of Ryan. A boredom mixed with a desire to not always be running from town to town. The nagging in the back of his head was drowned out by the desire for something different. If this ended in a bullet to the skull at least Ryan could say he died taking a risk that was different from any risk he’d taken in years. Slowly he climbed back into the room, finger on the trigger waiting for any sign of conflict. “It would appear that you are far more acquainted with me than I am with you, not LSPD.” Ryan said as he leaned against the frame of the sliding glass door. The metal frame dug into his spine through his leather jacket, it was far from the most comfortable position but it allowed for a quick exit if needed. 

The tattooed man chucked. “I’m sure you know more about me than you think you do. Any good criminal knows to keep an eye on the activity around his city. That’s how I found you after all.” 

Ryan cocked his head to the side slightly before it dawned on him “Fake AH, right? Thats what you guys call yourselves. You’re the only big game in town. What, did I step on your toes?” he questioned as he felt his grip subconsciously tighten on his pistol. He had been caught in turf wars before, but he had never been cornered in his hotel room. Moreover, the idea of them knowing who he was, that they were watching him unsettled Ryan. 

Nodding the man rose from the bed. “You could say that. We don’t take to kindly to people coming and messing how things work around here. It throws everything off. Nothing happens in Los Santos that we don’t know about, Mr.Vagabond. That’s how we found you. By the way, what kind of name is Vagabond?” Geoff scoffed rolling his eyes. 

Ryan felt his chest inflate, he never could just let it go, “It means wanderer. Nomadic.” He huffed.

“Huh, you learn something new everyday.” Geoff said with a shrug and a small smile “Anyway, we were keeping an eye on you, and then the bank yesterday. That was a shit show, right? We knew you’d be running off again. I mean, that is what you do, isn’t it? You roll into a town, piss off the locals, kill a few people, or few dozen depending on the city, and then disappear into the night. Happened much faster than we expected though, usually you’ve got at least a couple months. Two weeks and five days. New record for losing your temper Ryan.” 

It was hard for Ryan to wrap his head around what was happening. The man in front of him liked to talk, that was for sure. However, Ryan couldn’t figure out where he was going with his little lecture. “What can I say, some cities are more boring than others. Had to spice it up a bit.” He was stalling and he was sure that both of them were aware of it. 

“Yeah, Los Santos, it’s known for being boring for criminals. Then again, I guess I’m biased. I do run the Crew that owns this place. Maybe it’s just more fun for me.” Shrugging his shoulders the man looked around the room. “Though, you seem to be doing pretty good for yourself. Nice place you got here. I mean, you could be doing a lot better though, that shitty bike you’ve got down there won’t last many more get aways. Especially with the blown out tires and all.” 

The white hot rage that Ryan knew all too well flooded his system. “So, the leader of the Fake AH Crew has decided it’s his job to inform me that I need a new bike? Thanks for the concern.” the words weren’t as sharp as he wanted them to be, sure, he had a temper but not a death wish. From everything he had read about this crew, they weren’t to be messed with. Their body count was astronomical and one thing was for sure, they ran Los Santos. “Is that all then?” Ryan said readjusting his bag on his shoulder. 

“Of course, I tracked your ass down all the way to this half assed hotel to tell you to get a new fucking bike. Idiot. You’ve gotta smarten up if you’re gonna be in my Crew. Names Geoff, I’m your new boss. Either that or the end of your story.” Geoff shrugged and Ryan felt his stomach turn. 

Ryan had just been begging the world to give him adventure, to give him something that wasn’t constantly on the back of a bike. “You’re so sure you can manage either of those outcomes?” Ryan said staring straight into the eyes of the man he had already accepted as his new boss, whether he would admit it or not. 

With a nod Geoff turned towards the door. “Tomorrow. Midnight. All that cliched trash about leave everything you knew behind. Not that you really have anything to leave, do you? The pier. If you’re not there you’d better be dead, or you will be.” 

Ryan smiled to himself as he replied to the text. “Yup. Be back in 15” Ryan knew he sure had come a long way in the past two years. Now an ingrained part of the Fake AH Crew. His life was stable and more exciting than he could have ever imagined. He had an apartment full of plants and Gavin. He never would have imagined this life for himself two years before, but now he couldn’t imagine himself back on that old bike running from city to city. 

With a deep breath Ryan resigned himself to the knowledge that he would have to get up and return to the Crew shortly but decided that he had enough time to catchup on the news in Los Santos before returning for his own debriefing. Pulling up the biggest new site in Los Santos Ryan read the top story. Just a blurry photo of someone in what appeared to be a very snug leather suit running across a roof top. The story below was an adventure from start to finish. A wealthy family in Los Santos had come back to their home after a night at the Opera (Ryan hadn’t even been aware there was one in Los Santos), to find their home safe broken into. The assailant had gotten away with countless pieces of family jewels and more than $50,000 in cash. Who kept that much cash in a home safe, Ryan wondered to himself as he kept reading the article which went on to share the eyewitness accounts. There wasn’t much there though, the family's eight year old son claimed that he saw a young woman with bright purple hair climb out his window when he went to go put on his pyjamas and a young lady walking home had taken the blurry picture from above when she had spotted something moving atop her apartment building. 

After reading the whole story Ryan was not only amazed by the story itself but also that it was the top story in Los Santos, even though this mysterious girl’s crime had taken place the same day that Fake AH had taken down an armored helicopter. One thing was for sure, Geoff wasn’t going to like this.


	2. Mc Duck It Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While our "Mystery" Lady has a cartoon moment Ryan and Gavin have a quiet evening in. However Ryan just can't shake the curiosity that has nested deep in his gut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to have this up yesterday (Friday) but between my editors being busy and my random desire for late night desserts it got pushed back. I will for sure be posting twice a week, but it may not always be a consistent twice a week.   
> Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a little shorter then I'd usually prefer but I actually think it turned out well.

The heels of her boots clanked against the fire escape as she climbed up the side of her apartment building to her small patio. Sometimes having a doorman was a real pain in her ass, always knowing when she was coming and going from the Alta Street building. Sometimes climbing up the ladder was just easier. 

After finally reaching the patio she exhaled a triumphant breath before sliding open the glass door and pulled the frame shu behind her, hooking the hatch mindlessly. With a roll of her shoulders she readjusted the bag that rested there and walked through the apartment and down the stairs to her bedroom. The stairs felt like running a marathon as her body cooled down from the run back home. As she entered her room she swung the bag down onto the desk which sat near the window of the open room. Her body collapsed onto the chair in front of it, after a moment she ran her hands down her legs until they met the laces of her boots. Tugging at them lethargically she pulled one boot off and then the other. 

Her muscles started to ache as the strain set in. Climbing up and down buildings was never going to be as easy as it was in the movies. Exhaling a deep breath she grabbed a hair tie from the small tin on the corner of her desk and swept up her purple hair into a messy bun, a few strands falling loose around her face. Reaching around to the nape of her neck she struggled to find the metal zipper, she missed the days when she had someone to pull it down for her after a long heist. Finally her fingers grasped the metal and she pushed herself up until she was upright and pulled it down to the small of her back. Squirming out of the cat suit was never as sexy as she’d hoped it would be. Even with baby powder it still clung to her skin and left her feeling sticky. Kicking the suit to the corner of the room she sat back down, her bare thighs and shoulders welcoming the coolness of the chair she sat in. 

She pulled the the black backpack towards her and unzipped it. First she pulled out the jewelry she had gotten, a string of pearls and a golden pendant that she would sell at a fence and a silver and emerald necklace that she was planning on keeping for herself, some diamond earrings and a tennis bracelet rounded out the belongings she had found in the safe. She had left the family's passports and documents behind, she could never bring herself to completely drain someone. However, anyone who has thousands of dollars stashed away in a bedroom safe wasn’t hurting. She grabbed out the three bundles of cash she had snagged from the safe and unclipped the first stack and started counting it. 

She hit twenty thousand dollars a little over one stack in and smiled to herself. She hadn’t gotten a score this large since she had been in Austin. Well look at her now, possibly the biggest score of her life and all to herself. Part of her longed to share her success with her old companion, she shook the idea out of her head though and grabbed the remaining stack of money and undid the tie. Flipping the bills through her fingers her mind drifted away from the past and towards the spa day she was about to book. Her hair needed to be redone as well. 

The time at the top right of her computer screen glared at her, 3:34 am. She knew it was time to go to bed, her muscles ached but her mind was still racing. As she leaned back in the chair an idea popped into her head. With a smirk she grabbed the messy stacks of cash and walked over to her bed, with a couple flicks of her wrist the bills covered her sheets. She shimmied with excitement before flopping backwards into the money and sheets. She wiggled around feeling the worn paper against her exposed skin before relaxing with an accomplished sigh. “Crime really does pay” She said to the empty apartment, all she heard back was a small snore from the sleeping dog in the corner. 

 

The day after a job was always a strange beast for Ryan. He never had to be anywhere or do anything, technically he was unemployed after all. The set up for the next job wouldn’t start for days yet but his body still wanted to be doing something. Often times he would walk the streets of Los Santos as the sun beat down on him looking for a new opportunity to take to Geoff. He felt less useless when he was planning out potential and often overly extravagant ploys for the Crew. Every bank he passed every hushed conversation down a back alley could lead to their next big score. It had been a while since they had done a big Heist. He knew that Geoff had a couple plans slowly coming together, Ryan had seen the blueprints, obviously supplied by Jack, covering Geoff’s work station at the garage many times, slowly becoming more worn and overtaken by sticky notes and hastily scribbled pencil marks.

Most people like him, most criminals, preferred the cover of darkness but Ryan always found the shroud of daylight to be just as useful. People bustled all around the city, wrapped up in their own worlds, unaware of whom they could be walking next to. Ryan once read a study that claimed every person would walk past at least 7 serial killers in their life without even knowing it. He had scoffed at this statistic. In a town like Los Santos that number barely scratched the big leagues. Not only did the Fake AH Crew, consisting of a solid six members, roam freely everyday but there are also small time thugs and murderers running around. Los Santos just seemed like a hub of criminal activity, especially when one was familiar with it. 

His favourite example of this being a toy store in uptown Los Santos. The bright coloured walls, whimsical music and handcrafted toys were a child magnet and one of the favourite places for parents and collectors alike. However, the reasons why Geoff and Ryan made trips to the shop just after closing were far from child friendly. 

Then there was that new girl, the one Ryan had read about the other day. He wondered what her body count was. He wouldn’t be surprised if it had been in the double digits. Judging by the story he had read he was sure she wasn’t a novice. Every time he’d check the news he was half hoping to see another story on this mysterious new player. He felt himself becoming more and more disappointed every time the local news site ran a story about the LSPDs hard work to clean up the streets, like that would ever happen or the latest news involving the local sports teams. Those stories weren’t worth anyones time, let alone his. 

After a few hours of roaming the streets, watching the activity and interactions of the residents of their fair city Ryan corrected his course back to his apartment. His legs and mind no longer had the desire to keep roaming aimlessly searching for something to do. Sitting on a couch with Gavin felt like the perfect way to spend an evening. The closer Ryan got to the apartment the more his arms started to ache to be filled by Gavin, even if he had his own issues with staying still. Checking his watch Ryan pondered what had been ordered for dinner. 

 

Ryan felt warm and cozy, sprawled out on the couch with a belly filled with Chinese takeout and Gavin’s body pressed along his as they watched a Cops marathon. Horrible crime television was one of their favourite things to indulge in. Of course these idiots got caught, no finesse. The people who appeared on these shows didn’t understand that the life of a truly successful criminal was reserved for the intelligent. Drug addicts shaking for another fix or loud and obnoxious drunks would never make it in this business. It was why Fake AH was successful, after all, they had a group of highly intelligent and skilled individuals who aside from a hit or two from the bong or a couple of beers never let anything cloud their judgement. Geoff was often spotted with a beer in hand but never while planning or executing a job. Their missions were planned out in immaculate detail and they procured their supplies from only the best in Los Santos. You wouldn’t find them in possession of stolen guns or tagged vehicles, that was for sure. 

While they were well known across Los Santos and distinguishable from other crime chains no one knew who they were. This was because they were smart. No one, save the small circle that fueled the Fake AH Crew, knew their faces and no one knew more than a first name. Of course, part of this also was the ability to do what needed to be done. They never left loose ends. If someone had seen a face or even a glance of a reflexion they were eliminated. If they had doubts about someone’s loyalty they sure as hell didn’t wonder for long. It was easy to tell that most people on shows like Cops couldn’t actually kill someone unless it was a drunken accident, let alone wipe out a room full of witnesses. 

Sometimes, Ryan wondered why Gavin enjoyed watching these shows with him. Not only did they bring reality to some of the less than desirable outcomes of their lifestyle, but to be quite honest, Ryan got far too involved in the stories. They both viewed them very differently, Gavin was in it for a laugh, as a self esteem booster of sorts. “Idiots. Did you see that? We’d never get caught dicking around like that” which of course was true, but Gavin never went past that point of thought, he’d laugh and shake his head lightly. Ryan however couldn’t just take it for amusement, he always took it as a learning exercise, which often turned into a full blown lecture about the many ways each poor low life could have gotten away with it. It was always a shock when an hour after an episode had ended, and Ryan was sitting straight up, speaking with his hands about the episode they had just seen, Gavin still sitting there with a dopey smile on his face. 

This was one of those evenings, it would turn out. After a few episodes the clock ticked sometime past midnight and Ryan was explaining the necessity of not only wearing a mask on heists but also the importance of face paint beneath the mask. No matter how many times he said it the others just wouldn’t listen, he felt as though he had tried to explain this concept at least a dozen times. Yet, here he was giving it once again. “See, that guy did it too. That damn mask got in the way and when he took it off it was all over. See that, the lady next door recognized him and now he’s rotting in a cell somewhere. When we go out I have on face paint, if our nosey neighbour where to see a picture of me on a heist without my mask I bet you three jobs of cash that she wouldn’t for a second suspect it was that nice young man in the apartment next door.” Ryan said mimicking the snooty voice of their neighbour across the hall. Ryan flopped back against the couch and saw Gavin shake his head lightly as a tired smile played on his lips. Ryan would never be able to look away from that smile, he was sure of it. That dopey smile made Gavin look like a doofus for sure, but Ryan always reminded himself that Gavin was his doofus. 

“You’re right, we are all risk taking bastards” Gavin yawned so big that Ryan was sure he heard the other man’s jaw crack. “At least you’ll be there to break us out of prison when we get ourselves caught, yeah?” he finished and Ryan could see the sleep starting to take over the other man's features.

Chuckling Ryan shrugged, “After a couple weeks I’d definitely come get you. The others may have to wait for my heart to stumble across a kindness streak. We both know those are kinda rare.” After all, the others weren’t nearly as important as Gavin. Sure, Ryan would go down in a blaze of bullets and bombs if the Crew were going down, those guys were family, but he couldn’t let them know how much he liked them, it would ruin his rep. At least with Gavin he could claim that the benefits that came with having a live in boyfriend were his motivation. 

“Whatever you say, Ryebread. You’re really cute when you get worked up about our safety, you know? Makes me feel all taken care of.” Gavin said as he leaned across the couch and placed a sleepy kiss on Ryan’s lips. The contact was like a magnet and Ryan followed Gavin’s lips as he pulled away. He watched as Gavin stood up, extending his arms and bending them behind his head with another loud yawn. “I’m heading to bed, you coming?” 

Ryan wiggled his eyebrows playfully “I don’t know, am I?” He smirked hopefully. 

With a roll of his eyes Gavin turned his back on Ryan and walked away “You wish. I think I’m going to sleep for a month after all that food. Night.” he mumbled as he disappeared towards the bedroom. 

Ryan shook his head affectionately even though Gavin couldn’t see it. “Night, love you.” He called over his shoulder, he heard a mumbled reciprocation before the click of the bedroom door. 

 

After a few more episodes of mindless TV Ryan pressed the power button on the remote and sat in darkness for a couple of moments. He wasn’t ready for bed yet, he always was more of a late night type of person, he felt it made doing Heists in the middle of the night easier. Less back and forth adjusting. He could never understand Gavin’s ability to adjust his sleep schedule so abruptly and bounce back so quickly.

As he sat in the silent living room his mind started to wonder, skipping from memory to memory and idea to idea like the flickering of a candle. Suddenly a flash of purple hair swept across his eyelids. He sat up with a jolt and reached for the laptop that sat on the coffee table. He opened the lid and immediately opened an incognito browser. While most people saved that particular untraceable browser strictly for porn or affairs, Ryan often used it for general research that he wasn’t ready to share with the rest of the Crew yet, not even Gavin. 

For some reason he felt that looking into this woman warranted a bit of privacy. He didn’t know what it was about her but she kept flickering through his thoughts. Not in the same way that she did in Geoff’s, who had sworn and ranted about her stealing their front page every moment he could, after all he wasn’t one to be out staged. Instead Ryan just had an overwhelming curiosity. Who was she and where did she come from? They had ears all over Los Santos and had not heard a single rumbling about a new player, let alone a woman. In such a male heavy industry the idea of new female blood was always the talk of the town. Yet, the article in the Los Santos Times seemed to be the first anyone had heard about her, though he couldn’t find anyone who wasn’t at least mildly curious. 

Her story reminded him somewhat of himself, he had wandered into town and no one had known much about him until his first major heist. It had only been from there that he had caught the attention of the Fake AH Crew. Geoff probably said the same things about him that he was about this mystery girl. Except he doubted that Geoff ever tried to use Ryan’s sex appeal as a reason for his front page spread. 

The beginning of a dig into an unknown person was always slow, but yet incredibly rewarding for Ryan. Every possible hint he ran across he got a little more excited as he filled a document with everything he could find, occasionally tossing out a false lead. Link after link he clicked and rummaged through online articles and case files, thankful for Gavin’s hacking abilities rubbing off just enough for him to get into most low end police stations servers looking for details. 

By four in the morning Ryan’s eyes were getting heavier. He was proud of the layout in front of him, no matter how vague. If all of his research and assumptions were correct this lady was first spotted in Austin five years earlier when there was an outbreak of small home invasions in upper middle class suburban areas. Two female assailants would always break in at night when the homes were empty and were out within ten minutes of entering. One of the ladies sounded like his girl. A short, agile woman wearing what could only be accurately described as a cat suit and a unique face mask that resembled a flu mask. More than one witness claimed that the mask had some sort of design on it but accounts never quite matched up. The little boy in the Los Santos case hadn’t noticed a mask but had only seen her from behind. The other piece was that the girl from Austin had fiery red hair while the woman he was looking for had purple hair, he assumed though, that woman often changed their hair colour and doing so would set her apart from past cases. Of course there was also the absence of a second woman in the case had Ryan had been looking into. 

For all of the similarities there were just as many differences but Ryan couldn’t help but feel like he was on the right track. The home that was broken into was along the edges of the city in the upper class Vinewood area, though there were no witnesses to her entrance she got out of the home quickly and had knowledge of when the family would be out. She had made off with only money and jewelry instead of other high ticket items and left less valuable things in the safe while walking past everything else in the home. It lined up too well with the escalating thefts in Austin. 

On the side of his file he had a note in large red letters that he wasn’t sure he could fit into his timeline and pattern. A few months after the home invasions started they slowed down, not stopping entirely but they began spreading out more. During this time there were reports of large jewelry and department stores being burgled in the middle of the night. Only one of the five incidents Ryan could find had a witness. The teenage drug dealer who had been found to witness one of the jewelry store heists claimed that he saw two large mountain lions on their hind legs break into the establishment. The witness also claimed that the whole scene was washed out in blue light with sparklers going off around the store. To say the teenager was unreliable was an understatement but two mountain lions could possibly fit the description of two female assailants in tight black suits breaking into a building if the proper drugs were involved. Regardless Ryan left that line of events to the side, too unreliable to link back quite yet. 

Though he found other articles here and there around the country with similar MOs only a few seemed directly related and had only stopped about six months ago. The local police in Austin had no leads and the news reporters seemed to care little for the string of local robberies. That was until she made her way to Los Santos which apparently was getting a little tired of the never ending shenanigans of the Fake AH Crew, causing them to jump at something new. 

As Ryan saved his progress and closed the laptop he tapped his fingers on the lid. He had an itch to test his research. He wondered if maybe, just maybe, he could find her. Just to calm his curiosity, of course. His mind started to formulate plans to catch up to his new obsession, but as his mind started leaning towards planted traps of purple hair dye he decided that it was time for bed. If he still felt like he needed to track down the woman in the morning he would put some well rested thought into it. He doubted it would seem so important in the morning.

 

As the midday sun hit it’s peak shining right into the window of his apartment Ryan finally woke up. The last thing he saw before he opened his eyes was a flash of flowing purple hair. It looked like he would be doing some more research.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'd love to see a comment if anyone has time. If not the kudos and subs are just as awesome. 
> 
> Thank you all for your time and have a fabulous weekend! See you again early next week!

**Author's Note:**

> So? Yes? No? Maybe so? Let me know. Or don't.... I know I am never motivated to message authors. I get it. No guilt.  
> Also, this is my first time posting to AO3 and i'm having issues importing the text from Google Doc so i'm sorry if some of the formatting is off. I'm going to try and master the art of pretty AO3 work.  
> So i'm just gonna leave this here and hide in a hole.


End file.
